The Meetings and Spiritual Exercise of the Local Church

Singing

3. Singing

As an enjoyer of the Lord, Witness Lee shares in this section the importance of singing to the Lord. A normal meeting life should be one that is overflowing with singing and praising.

In this portion, Witness Lee encourages the practice of a key form of spiritual exercise and enjoyment, that of singing praises to the Lord, especially in the local church meetings (Eph. 5:19):

The house is also the place to sing praises unto the Lord. We do need an abundance of singing in God’s house. We may need a few messages and a little listening, but how much more we need the singing of praises! All these things are in the house. I just love the house! I do…love the local churches.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 62)

In his interpretation of Psalm 45:8, Witness Lee again makes the point that the singing of praises must be the primary matter in the local church meetings.

The Psalmist continues, “Out of the ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.” Ivory is a kind of bone, and bone in typology signifies the unbroken, resurrection life of Christ. Not one of Christ’s bones was broken (John 19:33, 36); His bones were unbreakable. This signifies that His life can never be broken. Hence, the ivory palaces signify that all the local churches are built up with His resurrection life. Out of these palaces, stringed instruments make Him glad. All these verses are poetic expressions. Therefore, the stringed instruments speak of the sweet, melodious, harmonious praises. Whenever we meet in all the local churches, the first thing, the main thing, the central thing, must be the singing, the praising.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 70)

Main

Meetings

Lord’s Table

Prayer

Prophesying

Small Group

Gospel

Children’s

OT Type

Spiritual Exercise

Reading

Praying

Singing

Speaking

Thanksgiving

Praising

Serving

Calling

Pray-Reading

Bibliography

Links